Bentonville runs away for repeat

ROGERS -- Bentonville needed a playoff to win the Class 6A state boys golf team title a year ago, but nobody was close to the Tigers on Wednesday at Shadow Valley Country Club.

Bentonville's foursome played solid golf after a tough start to the second day and romped to the championship, compiling a team score of 607 to best second-place Bryant by 38 strokes.

"Their composure came through today," Bentonville Coach Kent Early said. "That's a tribute to what they do day in and day out to prepare for this situation. We did lose some balls, but they just stuck to the game plan and pulled it out. It was a great ending to their high school career."

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Early said going back to back is far from easy, but it's a goal the players set not long after winning a year ago.

"It's very hard to do," Early said. "There is pressure, but these guys went to work. We went to dinner last year after we won it, and they said, 'Coach, we want to do this again.' So they have put in countless hours to put themselves in a position to do what they just did."

Bentonville made it look easy, but there was some drama for the individual medalist honors. But that was all Bentonville, too.

Phisher Phillips sank a 4-foot par putt for victory in a two-hole playoff against teammate Michael Senn.

Phillips improved his score by six shots from the first round and was the only player to shoot under par, finishing the final round with a 1-under 71. He said he hit more fairways in the final round.

"Out here you have to hit good shots off the tee to give yourself birdie opportunities," Phillips said. "I hit the driver great all day. I hit a bunch of solid two-irons off some tees. I haven't been driving it great this year, but drove it really good today. So I think that gave me a bunch more opportunities to make birdies."

He started the day seven strokes behind the first-round lead, but he just focused on his own play.

"Being seven shots back, you can't control what other people do," Phillips said. "You can't control what other people shoot. The only thing you can control is what you do. I had a game plan and knew exactly what I was hitting off every tee, went out there and executed pretty well.

"Other people didn't play as well as they did yesterday, so it just worked out."

Early said it's sort of like a pickup basketball game since the two have grown up playing golf together.

"These guys are always pushing and challenging one another," Early said. "It's a competitive friendship. But it was neat to see because those two sealed the deal for us last year. And it went two holes just like this one. I thought that was kinda cool."

Both guys confessed to some good-natured ribbing on the final playoff hole. Phillips may have gotten the best of his teammate, but Senn is happy to get one more crack next week at the Overall state tournament in Little Rock.

"I told Phish he got lucky, and I want a rematch at Overalls," Senn said with a laugh.

Alexander Apolskis of Bentonville finished with an 8-over 152, good enough for a tie for third. He lost in a playoff to Bryant's Daniel Taylor for the third and final spot in next week's Overall championship, but that still meant there were three Tigers among the top-five finishers.

Taylor was the leader after the first round but struggled Wednesday with a 10-over 82 after shooting an opening-round 70.